Improvement in game-boards



I'r nn STAT-Es PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT m GAME-BOARDS, (TIVOLL) Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 173,604, dated February 15, 1876; application filed November 27, 1875.

' playing the social table-game known as Tivoli, or Chinese Billiards, and consists in an improved board, having certain parts of peculiar construction, whereby the balls can be shot with greater ease and without noise, and the entrance to the main court is guarded in a superior'manner.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a tivoli-board illustrating this invention, partly in section.-

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1.

This improved tivoli-board is, in common with others, an oblong tray-shaped structure, which is set upon an ordinary table or other horizontal surface, its floor being inclined by a prop, P, beneath the rear end of the board. It has also, in common with others, a shooting-trough, T, a curved reflect ing-board, R, a king ball spot," 8, cups 0 c, (numbering thirty-two in a large board,) stop-pins p behind the cups,.deflecting-pins p at different points, courts 0 C formed by rows of pins, bells B B within the courts, and pockets P 1 formed in the rear angles of a rectangular board by the reflector B, which pockets serve to hold, while not in use, the six balls I) and the king-ball b*, with which the game is played. The arrangement of these parts may or may not be peculiar.

The king-ball b is placed, at the beginning of the game, on the spot 8, and the balls I) are placed successively at the rear end of the shooting-trough T, as indicated in dot-ted lines in Fig. -1.

For shooting the balls with superior ease and noiselessness, a new means has been provided namely, a bow spring, S, of elastic wood or other suitable material. This is concealed within a chamber, 0 extending across the lower end of the board. One end of the bow-spring is fixed in the left-hand end of this chamber. Its free end closes the lower end of the shooting-trough, as represented in full lines in Fig. 1, and is, by preference,-

clothed with a cushion or pad, 1", of soft rubber, or like material, which is extended so as to cover those portions of the spring which strike the casin g and balls, in order to prevent noise. The chamber may be enlarged, so that the end of the bow-spring will not strike the casing, if preferred. A knob, k, is attached intermediately to the bow-spring by a cord passing through a hole in the lower end of the board. By means of the knob the free end of the bow-spring is drawn back, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1; and, owing to the inclination of the floor, the ball follows into the chamber 0 from which it is propelled noiselessly, but with any desired force, by the release of the knob, which causes the free end of the spring to strike against the end of the trough.

Above the chamber 0 an ample arm-rest, A, is provided, which enables the player to assume the most easy position, and to steady the board at the same time. Thehighest point is made by striking the king-ball b with one of the balls b, so as to cause both to enterinto the main court 0 and strike the bell B", and this may be repeated during a single game, as the king-ball is always returned immediately to its spot. To render the accomplishment of this the more difficult and exciting, a guard, G, of peculiar construction, is placed within the arch a which spans the entrance to the main court. The guard is a swiveled figure-preferably of a horseman-which forms a turn-stile, rotating on a vertical pivot. The position in which this is left by an entrance to the main court determines the degree of ease with which another entrance can be accomplished. The form of the guard renders it possible, but difficult, to leave the entrance practically unobstructed, as indicated in dotted lines, and this will be theobject of the player.

To provide for lockin g up the balls when the game is finished, a box or compartment, 0 may be provided at the left-hand of the armrest A, as shown in Fig. 1.

The cups 0 will, in practice, be made of wood, turned to the proper shape, and glued in place, as indicated in Fig. 2.

It is proposed to make thelarger tables with folding lcgs,suitablybraced and tightened by turn-buckles, when in position.

The following is claimed as new, namely:

1. The bow-spring S, concealed Within the chamber 0 in combination with the knob and cord is and the arm-rest A, said spring being adapted, upon its release, to strike the end of the trough and propel the ball, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with the reflecting-board B and deflecting-pins P 19 the guard G, rototing on a vertical pivot, and operating as described for controlling the entrance of balls to the main court 0 from the shooting-trough T and kin g-ball spot s,'in the manner set forth.

JOHN ELLSON. Witnesses:

ARTHUR M. LEsLIE, JAS. L. EWIN. 

